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Sunday, February 21st, 2010
More than three months after Mainers voted down same-sex marriage, the organization that provided much of the money to the traditional marriage camp is still fighting to block the state from forcing disclosure of their donor lists. This past week, the National Organization for Marriage lost another skirmish in the larger legal battle over its campaign finances.
U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby in Portland overruled NOM’s objections to having to turn over donor lists and correspondence between NOM and Stand for Marriage Maine regarding the campaign to repeal Maine’s gay marriage law. The court has yet to rule on the larger case challenging Maine’s campaign reporting laws, however.
The documents being sought — and what they say about who donated to NOM and why — are key to a Maine Ethics Commission investigation into whether the group’s failure to disclose donors violated state campaign finance laws.
Full Story from istocknews
Click here for gay marriage resources in Maine.
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Posted in disclosure, donors, ethics panel, Gay Marriage, maine, marriage equality, national organization for marriage, nom, same sex marriage | No Responses »
Monday, December 21st, 2009
Maine gay marriage advocates have regrouped following repeal of the gay marriage law at the ballot Nov. 3, and they are working to put like-minded legislators in office in 2010. They also are planning to take a more personal approach with voters than they did in the months leading up to November — an approach that focuses less on identifying likely voters than it does on having conversations with people in the more rural, small-town pockets of Maine.
Lane Williamson of Kittery, who led the southern York County NO on 1 voting effort in November, said that was the outcome of a recent community meeting held by Equality Maine in Ogunquit — one of a number of such meetings Equality Maine held throughout the state in the past month.
Dorian Cole, communications director of Equality Maine, said no decision has been made about how the campaign will proceed with a new gay marriage initiative. Advocates could seek legislation through either a bill or a citizen’s initiative, seek redress in the courts or alternatives such as civil unions.
Full Story from Seacoast Online: http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091221/NEWS/912210329/-1/NEWSMAP
Click here for gay marriage resources in Maine.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in 2010 elections, gay friendly, Gay Marriage, legislators, maine, me | No Responses »
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
The 2009 ballot question on gay marriage in Maine was the most expensive initiative campaign in Maine history, and the third most expensive statewide political campaign in the state’s history. More than $7 million was spent on both sides. Only the U.S. Senate races of 2002 and 2008 were more costly.
This report will examine where the money got spent, on both the “Yes” (anti-equality) and “No” (pro-equality) sides. There were some significant differences in how the funds were allocated among different sources. Brief synopses will be provided on the major vendors on both sides. Finally, some suggestions for future equality campaigns will be offered.
Step One: Get the Issue On the Ballot
Before there could even be a campaign, the “People’s Veto” needed to get the requisite number of signatures to qualify it for the state ballot. In Maine, that requires collecting roughly 55,000 signatures. Stand for Marriage Maine (the Yes on 1 campaign) spent more than $300,000 to gather the signatures. A Michigan-based firm, National Petition Management, was contracted to perform this task. They succeeded. Still, this meant that Yes on 1 needed to raise $300,000 before there could even be a campaign. In my analysis I consider this to be pre-campaign expenditures and do not include it in my ratio calculations.
Full Story from the Nolan Chart: http://www.nolanchart.com/article7146.html
Click here for gay marriage resources in Maine.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in analysis, campaign, finances, maine, me, no on 1, question 1, yes on 1 | No Responses »
Monday, December 7th, 2009
Should the November 2009 result in Maine — a 53/47 victory by the forces seeking to overturn marriage equality — have come as a surprise? After all, No on 1 raised much more money than Yes on 1 did. They out-organized their opponents. They ran a positive, upbeat campaign. And still the result, just like California last year: a loss.
This report will examine the reasons behind the Maine loss. Then it will undertake demographic analysis of the results from Maine, California (Proposition 
and Washington State (Referendum 71) to assess whether there were consistent demographic factors in play. Next, based on the results of the demographic analysis, a simple model will be suggested to estimate probability on a state-by-state basis of marriage equality being adopted at the ballot box. Finally, a going-forward strategy for marriage equality advocates will be proposed.
Maine: What Went Wrong?
Given the type of campaign marriage equality advocates waged in Maine, and the realities of running such a campaign in a state like Maine, the No on 1 forces did about the best they could have. But close does not count, and a loss is a loss. There are five reasons the No on 1 forces lost Maine. Advocates of marriage equality must re-think what they are doing, or more electoral defeats are forthcoming. However, if they make some adjustments, they will obtain the result they seek, eventually.
Full Story from Nolanchart.com: http://www.nolanchart.com/article7109.html
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in ca, california, Gay Marriage, losses, maine, me | No Responses »
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
Should the November 2009 result in Maine – a 53/47 victory by the forces seeking to overturn marriage equality – have come as a surprise? After all, No on 1 raised much more money than Yes on 1 did. They out- organized their opponents. They ran a positive, upbeat campaign. And still the result, just like California last year: a loss.
This report will examine the reasons behind the Maine loss. Then it will undertake demographic analysis of the results from Maine, California (Proposition and Washington State (Referendum 71) to assess whether there were consistent demographic factors in play. Next, based on the results of the demographic analysis, a simple model will be suggested to estimate probability on a state-by-state basis of marriage equality being adopted at the ballot box. Finally, a going-forward strategy for marriage equality advocates will be proposed.
Full Story from Virtual Galt: http://www.virtualgalt.com/mainpages/marriage%20equality%20lessons%20learned.pdf
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in california, Gay Marriage, maine, prop 8, proposition 8, question 1, report | No Responses »
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Grey skies framed the Neo-Byzantine dome of St. Louis’ Cathedral Basilica on Nov. 29 as hundreds of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) and allied supporters protested the archdiocese’s donation of $10,000 to the successful effort to reverse marriage equality in Maine.
The protest, which took place on the public portion of sidewalk in front of the New Cathedral, was organized by St. Louis based GLBT rights organization, Show Me No Hate. A smaller contngent of protesters was on hand for morning mass and the organization plans to rally outside the iconic edifice each Sunday throughout Advent — the period of preparation and waiting for Christmas.
In response to the protest, St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson issued a statement saying that the donation came from a “special needs fund” endowed from “private gifts.” According to Carlson, the fund is not used for formal church operations and can be used at the archbishop’s discretion.
Full Story from VitalVoice: http://thevitalvoice.com/node/5916
Click here for gay marriage resources in Missouri.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in cahtolic church, Gay Marriage, maine, missouri, mo, protest, st. louis diocese | No Responses »
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
An analysis of state reports has revealed Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the nation made significant financial contributions to the campaign that nullified marriage for same-sex couples in Maine.
By a margin of 53 to 47 percent, Pine Tree State voters supported a referendum on Nov. 3 that nullified a law that had extended nuptials to gays and lesbians. Observers said the 55 percent turnout was exceptionally high in an off-year election.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland created a political action committee to collect funds for Stand for Marriage Maine, the campaign supporting the referendum. The church contributed close to $550,000. Almost half–about $250,000–came from dioceses, parishes, organizations and individual clergy from outside the state.
Full Story from Edge Boston:http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=98801
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in Maine.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in Gay Marriage, maine, roman catholic church | No Responses »
Sunday, November 8th, 2009
The most effective man fighting to deny the right of gay marriage in America is Frank Schubert of Sacramento. Schubert ran the successful Yes on Proposition 8 campaign last year, the initiative banning gay marriage in California. This week, when Maine voted to repeal a new law allowing gay marriage, Schubert was again the pivotal organizer.
If conventional wisdom on gay marriage inevitability were a balloon, Schubert would be the needle.
His win in California galvanized Yes on Prop. 8 believers from the right and left – from black to white to Latino and Asian. His win in Maine halted a tide of momentum for gay marriage in several states.
Full Story from the Sacramento Bee: http://www.sacbee.com/breton/story/2313315.html
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in antigay marriage, california, folsom, frank schubert, maine, proposition 8, question 1, sacramento | No Responses »
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
The stars seemed aligned for supporters of gay marriage. They had Maine’s governor, legislative leaders and major newspapers on their side, plus a huge edge in campaign funding. So losing a landmark referendum was a devastating blow, for activists in Maine and nationwide.
In an election that had been billed for weeks as too close to call, Maine’s often unpredictable voters repealed a state law Tuesday that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed. Gay marriage has now lost in all 31 states in which it has been put to a popular vote — a trend that the gay-rights movement had believed it could end in Maine.
“Today’s heartbreaking defeat unfortunately shows that lies and fear can still win at the ballot box,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Full Story from AP: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jv2czUG72xt9zK5erT-vbOJ2X9UwD9BOONVG0
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in Gay Marriage, maine, question 1 | No Responses »
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
Maine — Question 1. Maine votes Yes on Question 1 — which means no on gay marriage — by a margin of about 52-48. Turnout was extremely high and should eventually surpass 500,000 voters, about where it was during the 2006 midterms. This fact was initially thought to favor the pro-gay marriage side — but, obviously, it didn’t. The results showed a very strong urban-rural divide, with the initiative being rejected by a margin of about 2:1 in Portland but racking up big margins in smaller towns and rural areas, especially in the north of the state.
We had given Question 1 about a 70 percent chance of being defeated based on a combination of an analysis of the polling and a statistical model. I don’t know how much time I’m supposed to spend defending being on the wrong side of a 70:30 bet — we build in a hedge for a reason — but here comes a little self-reflection. As for the polling, I think we have to seriously consider whether there is some sort of a Bradley Effect in the polling on gay rights issues, although one of the pollsters (PPP, which had a very bad night in NY-23) got it exactly right.
As for the model, I think I’ll need to look whether the urban-rural divide is a significant factor in a state in addition to its religiosity: Maine is secular, but rural. At the end of the day, it may have been too much to ask of a state to vote to approve gay marriage in an election where gay marriage itself was the headline issue on the ballot. Although the enthusiasm gap is very probably narrowing, feelings about gay marriage have traditionally been much stronger on the right than the left, and that’s what gets people up off the couch in off-year elections.
Full Story from Five Thirty Eight: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/11/what-happened-and-why.html
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in Gay Marriage, maine, question 1, r71, referendum 71, washington | No Responses »
